Punch for cutting out shapes from sheets of plastic material



(No Model.)

G. A. FIRNSTEIN. PUNCH FOR CUTTING OUT SHAPES PROM SHEETS 0F PLASTIC MATERIAL.

No. 475,549. Patented May 24, 1892.

A .z' )4 4 I 6; 222 1 3.

Him

GEORGE A. FIRNSTEIN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

PUNCH FOR CUTTING OUT SHAPES FROM SHEETS OF PLASTIC MATERIAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters ZEatent 110,475,549, dated May 24, 1892.

Application filed February 23, 1892. Serial No. 42 2,335. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. FIRNSTEIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Punches for Cutting Out Shapes from Sheets of Plastic Materials, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to punches for making apertures or for cutting out disks and other shapes from sheets or plates of various materials, and more especially to punches for cutting mass wafers from thin sheets of showbread used for sacramental purposes, all of which will be fully hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation of my device in its preferred form, showing a hand-press with a wafer-sheet therein; Fig. 2, a transverse sectional elevation on line 00 m, Fig. 1, looking rearward in the direction of the arrow, with the wafer-sheet omitted; Fig. 3, a sectional plan on line y y, Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a broken longitudinal elevation of my devicein a modified form; and Fig.5, a broken. sectional plan on line 'y y, Fig. 4.

A represents the bed-plate or base, B an upright frame or standard supported thereby, and l) 1) guide arms or bearings projecting forwardly from standard B.

C represents a handle or lever hinged at its inner end to the upper end of standard B.

D represents a circular punch, whose upright stock d passes through the guide arms or bearings 12 b and is provided with a retracting coiled spring d.

a to represent transverse pins in the punchstock having their ends projecting slightly therefrom and arranged at the desired distance apart to suit the stroke of the plunger, and thereby obviate unnecessary motion in either direction.

0 represents a short pin in the upper bearing 1), its inner end engaging a groove 0 in the punch-stock to prevent the unnecessary turning of the latter, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

E represents the die having a circular opening corresponding, as customary, with the punch in size and contour, and preferably mounted in a detachable manner by means of countersunk screws e on the bed-plate or base A, perpendicularly and concentrically in line with said punch. The aperture A (shown in Fig. 2 and in dotted lines, Fig. 1) made 111 the bed-plate beneath the dieis the maximum in size that it is desired or intended to use the press, and the central aperture in the the may be the same size or smaller to suit the size of punch used and the size of blank to be removedfrom the sheet or plate.

Different-sized punches can obviously be placed in the press to suit the size of die used by simply removing the pins to a and withdrawing the punch down through the large opening A in the bed-plate.

F represents a horizontal plate, preferably provided with a downward angular bend f at its inner or rear end and an upright angular bend or extension f at its outer or fore end, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, the inner end being detachably secured by means of screws to the bed-plate to the rear of the die and the outer end similarly secured to the lower guidearm I) of the standard 13. This plate 1s provided with a large circular opening or aperture F, concentric with the circular punch and the die and bed-plate openings, but about one-eighth inch larger than the punch, so as to permit a View or observation of the punching process beneath at all times.

The particular function and ob ect of the plate F is to provide means between the punch and die whereby the delicate and frangible sheet of sacramental bread is prevented from rising with the disk or piece removed by the punch and automatically and read1ly strlpped from the punch on its upward stroke without any liability to crack or break said sheet, such as has heretofore been the result when the fingers or other means were used for the purpose. The vertical portion of the rear bend f 1n the stripper F provides a back-stop or gage for the inner edge of the sheet torest against 1n the punching operation. I prefer securing the outer end of the stripper in the manner shown in Fig. 1, for the reason that it stiffens the stripper and effectually prevents any upward motion that might possibly affect the operation thereof and cause the sheet to crack or break. This verticalextension f also pro- In Figs. and 5 I have shown a modified form of stripper, it beinga flat plate without any bend whatever therein and detachably secured at its rear end only to the bed-plate, wlth a cross-bar f intervening and support ing it the proper height above the die. The outer end of this modifiedforin is thus free, and the plate should therefore be stiif enough to reslst the upward motion of the plunger and Wafer-sheet, the latter being intended to be strlpped without breaking, the same as in the preferred form. The cross-bar f also forms a gage similar to the bend f.

and immediately retracts on raising said handle through the expansive action of spring at. The cut made is sharp and clean, and the sheet carried upward by the punch (as it will be most of the time) on the upstroke of said punch, will be readily stripped, perfectly intact, and unimpaired from the punch and The punch is then depressed by the handle and in its downward motion cuts or rea moves the wafer or disk from the said sheet the press used for cutting sheets or plates of other materials, and also that the die could be made permanent with the rest of the parts oonstantthat,is, the punch and the central openings in the die and bed-plate corresponding with each other and the central opening in the stripper slightly larger than the punch, for the purpose stated-without affecting the principle of my invention herein in the least.

It is still further obvious that my stripperplate could be applied with equal facility to power-punches or to hand-punches or presses of otherforms, as well as to the construction herein shown and described, and not aifect the principle.

1. In a punching device, the combination 1 of a punch, a suitable supporting standard or To operate the press, the wafer-sheet W is inserted on thedie beneath the stripper-plate F frame therefor, a die, a suitable bed-plate or base for said die, and a stripper-plate having a central opening in a vertical line with said punch and die, and a transverse gage or stop on which such plate is mounted, the gagebeing mounted in turn on said bed-plate and supporting said stripper-plate so that it proj ects forwardly between said punch and die,

"substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified.

2. In a punching device, the combination of a punch, a die, suitable supporting means therefor, a stripper-plate intervening between said punch and die, and a rigid transverse stop or gage constructed at the rear end of said stripper-plate and form-ing a support for said rear end of the stripper-plate on the bedplate, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE A. FIRNSTEIN.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. J ONES, L. M. J ONES. 

